The Lost Anbu
by kappamaki
Summary: Sasuke's driving goal is to defeat his brother Itachi, who killed off all other members of their clan years ago. But why did Itachi commit such an atrocity? A look into the life of Uchiha Itachi.
1. itachi's path

  
chapter one. itachi's path, the pride of the uchiha clan.  
  
"Hey, Itachi, wanna play Assassin?"  
  
"Sure, how do you play?"  
  
"Well, every one gets assigned a person. Then you have to go around looking for them, and when you find them, you have to kill them-"  
  
A small gulp was heard. "Kill them?"  
  
"Not for real, silly!" A little girl laughed. "You throw a sock at them, and if it hits them, bam! They're dead."  
  
"Oh. Okay." Itachi started taking off his little sandals, grabbing a sock in each hand.  
  
"Then when they die, they have to tell you who their person is, then you have to go after and kill that person. And at the end, only one person is left, and that person is the winner! Okay?"  
  
"Okay!"  
  
"I'm lucky that you want to play with us, Itachi, because my person is you! So you better run!"  
  
Itachi let out a yelp and started running away. This was going to be fun!  
  
The game lasted all afternoon, and at the end there was still no winner. Still, when there parents came to pick them up, the children couldn't very well explain that not every one was dead yet so they needed to keep playing.  
  
"Did you have fun, Itachi?"  
  
Itachi smiled at his father, grabbing the older man's hand as they walked home. "Yeah! No one killed me, and there were only five of us left! And I was about to kill Hikaru, but then we had to go home."  
  
"Good." The elder Uchiha chuckled. "Because starting from tomorrow you'll be a student at the academy. You won't have time for playing anymore."  
  
"Will Hikaru and Akiko and Hana and Seiji-"  
  
"No, your friends aren't ready to become students yet."  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
"Itachi..." The older man kneeled down to look at his son. "You get to become a student now because you're very talented. You know that. Even for a Uchiha, you're exceptionally gifted. That's obvious even though you're so young. You should be very privileged to be able to attend the academy at such a young age. So you must try your hardest to become a great ninja."  
  
Itachi nodded. He knew all of this already. He heard it so often from the adults around him.  
  
"Itachi, take your studies seriously, okay?"  
  
"Alright, father. I'll become a great ninja. The greatest of all in the Uchiha clan."  
  
The elder Uchiha nodded and smiled. His Itachi would be the prize of the Uchiha bloodline.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Shinobi saying 25. A shinobi must keep emotions on the inside, no matter what the situation. You must make the mission top priority, and you must possess a heart that never shows tears."  
  
"Shinobi saying 29. A shinobi must exist only for the mission. When a mission is undertaken, you are only a tool, and will fulfill it at utmost self expense."  
  
Uchiha Itachi laid his head down on his desk, staring out the window. Shinobi saying 32... 39... 41... Even as his attention was on the courtyard outside, Itachi committed the words to memory as soon as his teacher said them. It was easy for him, the memorization and recollection of meaningless phrases; well, the memorization and recollection of anything really. His mind ran on a level that he, only a seven-year-old boy, could not keep up with. It was a strength of his, something that allowed him to learn jutsus and new fighting tactics at an alarming rate, something that had marked him as the genius in an already genius clan... as the boy who had inherited the Uchiha bloodline the strongest. His gifts were the reason he was already about to graduate from the ninja academy, when most of his classmates were five years his senior. And what he really wanted to do was to play outside, in the courtyard, with the other children his age.  
  
The teacher stopped speaking and dismissed the class, which started to gather their belongings and leave. Some were quick to get out of the room, anxious the do some last minute studying before the exam tomorrow. Some dallied behind to talk with their friends. Itachi grabbed his bag and started walking out of the classroom, not even pausing as he heard some of his peers talking about him.  
  
"Che, that damn Uchiha kid... he thinks he's so great, about to graduate."  
  
"Yeah, I hope he fails."  
  
"Itachi."  
  
Itachi looked up as the teacher called out to him. "Yes, sensei?"  
  
The sensei had heard the comments, had seen the dirty looks the boys shot Itachi. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"Everything is fine."  
  
The sensei smiled down at his best student. "I trust you'll do your best on the exam tomorrow."  
  
"Of course." Itachi didn't wait for a reply, instead he turned and left. There was no doubt that he would do well. He left the building and paused at the courtyard, watching the other children his age playing a game of tag. He had played with them before, just a few years ago, but that seemed like a long time ago.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Uchiha Itachi? Do you think he wants to play with us?"  
  
Itachi turned as soon as the girl noticed him, hurrying home.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Okaasan!" Itachi opened the screen door do his house, calling to his mother. "I'm home!"  
  
His little brother Sasuke was crawling around on the floor and looked up at Itachi imploringly. "Foo?"  
  
Itachi gabbed the two-year-old from behind and picked him up, even though the toddler was perfectly capable of walking, and awkwardly carried him to the kitchen where he knew his mother was.  
  
"Welcome home, Itachi. How was class today?"  
  
Itachi set his brother down on a chair and made his way to the refrigerator. "We're out of food that Sasuke can eat."  
  
Itachi went to the cupboard to grab a box of toddler food mix, prepared to make another batch for his brother as his mother cooked dinner. In between stirring the mix he had to keep running back to the chair to make sure Sasuke didn't fall off. Eventually he gave the younger child a pair of chopsticks to keep him amused and still. When he finished he sat down next to Sasuke to feed him.  
  
Itachi's mother sighed as she turned around to look at her eldest son. Every year he became even stronger, and every year he became more and more withdrawn. He barely talked to her and his father any more, preferring instead to immerse himself in his studies. He was always training, or reciting his damned lectures. "Itachi, why don't you ever smile any more? You used to smile so much."  
  
Itachi recounted the words that he had heard almost every week since enrolling in the academy. "A shinobi must keep emotions on the inside."  
  
His mother stood there smiling for a second longer before turning back to the stove. "... yes. I suppose that's true."  
  
Tomorrow, Uchiha Itachi would pass the academy graduation exam as his class's number one ranked ninja.  
  
  



	2. teammates intoduced

  
chapter two. teammates introduced.  
  
"I can't believe I'm on a team with that brat." Shunji Akihiro said the thought out loud for the benefit of his teammate. He didn't hide the fact that he didn't like Itachi and made every attempt at telling the younger boy. Akihiro wasn't a genius. He was an average ninja, with average skills, and he resented the fact that his hard work and training went unappreciated when Itachi was praised for a talent that Itachi himself took for granted.   
  
Rounding out the team was Sakoda Eriko, the academy's first ranked female graduate of the year. She excelled in the art of taijutsu, even when compared to many of the boys that had graduated, and was very pretty in a way that never really stood out. "That brat could kill you in an equal fight, so you might want to keep your mouth shut."  
  
Itachi didn't even bother replying.  
  
"So this is team four."  
  
Akihiro jumped at the unexpected voice, realizing that a jounin level ninja was standing right behind him and wondering when he got there. The ninja was a large man with vertical scars running down his face, dressed in traditional Leaf Village jounin clothing.  
  
"Shunji Akihiro, Sakoda Eriko, and Uchiha Itachi, you will call me Tanyu sensei. I am now in charge of your team. But first you must past a test to become genin."  
  
"Nani?" Akihiro glared at Tanyu. "We already passed the test."  
  
"You can consider that a preliminary round... if you wish to become genin, all three of you must cross this line." Tanyu picked up a stick and drew a line in the dirt.  
  
Akihiro frowned, staring at the line. It was only a few yards away. There must be some trick to this.  
  
"Of course, if one of you does not make it, all three of you will fail and be sent back to the academy."  
  
Akihiro took a step forward... the only way to see what trick Tanyu had in store was to attempt to get past the line. But before he could take another step Tanyu had performed some kind of hand movement, and team four found themselves flying backwards into the air... and falling towards the rocky valley behind them.  
  
Itachi found himself spiraling through the air, activating his sharingan in an instant. Far from being mastered, his sharingan was still a powerful tool, and right now he used it to assess the situation. Eriko was the closest to him, Akihiro farther away, and they would collide with the ground in approximately five seconds. The fall wouldn't be enough to kill them, but it would seriously injure Eriko and Akihiro enough so that they would not be able to climb back up the cliff. All three of them would fail. Itachi grabbed a Kunai out of his backpack and dived towards the cliff, using it as a surface to spring off of and towards Eriko. As he reached her he used his chakra to secure his feet to the cliff and grabbed her hand just as she was about to fall out of reach. He then released his feet and safely carried the both of them to the nearest edge protruding from the cliff face.  
  
"Akihiro?"  
  
Itachi nodded upwards in response to Eriko's question, and Eriko looked up to see an indignant Akihiro secured to the cliff face by his jacket with a kunai.  
  
"I threw it at him as I was reaching you."  
  
"Well hurry up and get me down from here, if you're such a genius!" Akihiro resigned himself to being rescued by Itachi... there was no way around it. He wouldn't have been able to get out of that fall by himself. And that Itachi brat, he really was a genius. To be able to use his sharingan already, to move so quickly, and to use his chakra so well... he was already past genin level. Akihiro clenched his fists together. In that instant he realized that no matter how much he trained, he could never reach Itachi's level. It was just another reason to hate the brat.  
When all three of them reached the edge, Itachi didn't waste a second. "Both of you can climb up this cliff."  
  
"Of course," Akihiro scoffed, grabbing onto a ledge.  
  
It took Eriko two hours to climb to the top. It took Akihiro three. Itachi reached the top in twenty minutes. When Akihiro finally pulled himself over the cliff, he realized that his teammates were already gone.  
  
"Congratulations," Tanyu said as Akihiro crawled past the line, "on becoming a genin. Since you were the last one to make it, you have the duty of informing your teammates of the good news. I'll see all three of you at seven am tomorrow morning for your first mission. You'll be walking some dogs for a friend of mine named Kakashi."  
  
"Seven am?! To walk some mutts?" Akihiro was incredulous as he collapsed on the ground, all his energy spent.  
  
"Seven am. And I don't stand for tardiness."  
  
Before he could respond Tanyu was gone.   
  
Akihiro only hoped he didn't get lost while looking for his teammates' houses... he was tired enough without having to wonder the streets of Konoha for hours looking for a boy he couldn't stand and a girl he barely knew.   
  
  



	3. mysterious figures appear

  
chapter three. mysterious figures appear.  
  
"Watch out for that trap." Eriko sped around the tree, quickly pointing out a wire that laid hidden in the ground.  
  
"I'm not blind," Akihiro replied. He assumed Eriko was speaking to him, since it was assumed that the great Itachi would be able to see any trap that was set out.  
  
"Idiot, I'm just trying to be helpful."  
  
Eriko stopped, inspecting the ground in front of her. Her adrenaline raced through her body... she lived for these training lessons. It had been almost a year since team four was formed, and their missions still consisted of everything from dog walking to fence painting to cleaning dishes. The only time she felt like a true ninja was during training. Today, their task was to track down Tanyu, who was waiting for them somewhere on the mountain. They had one hour. Along the way they had to deal with booby traps and shadow clones.  
  
"It's hard for me to tell which direction Tanyu went in." Eriko pointed down to a clump of smashed leaves. "It looks like he went through this way, but he could also have gone through the path over there."  
  
As always, Akihiro and Itachi didn't offer any comments. It frustrated Eriko. Akihiro didn't seem to care at all about training and missions, doing only what he could to get by. Itachi, while focused on any mission that was assigned, seemed apathetic towards anything else.   
  
"Itachi, what do you think?"  
  
Itachi stepped up to inspect the two paths. "He went East."  
  
Eriko looked at the clues, still not seeing it. "Could you tell me why?"   
  
"The pressure exerted on that branch wasn't enough to have been made by a man- it's more likely that it was made by a small animal."  
  
"I see. Let's go east then." Eriko jumped up, speeding in the given direction, when suddenly a force knocked her over. She looked up to see a grey mass- one of the dummies Tanyu had laid in their path and infused with charka. While they were still in midair she spun the dummy around so that she was on top and pushed it to the ground with a swift kick. Unfortunately, the kick propelled her upwards and into another dummy, whose arms twisted around her and rendered her immobile. Both her and the dummy started falling to the ground and she braced herself for the collision when she found herself suddenly free. She twisted so that she would land properly, minimizing the damage of the fall. She looked up to see Itachi decapitating the dummy and then leaping to help Akihiro, who was having trouble of his own.  
  
Eriko really hated having to be rescued.  
  
The last dummy was incapacitated, and the three teammates were assembled in the middle of the clearing where they lay.  
  
"Good job, Itachi," Eriko said.  
  
Akihiro sneered. "Of course. It's always Itachi to save the day, isn't it?"  
  
"Shut up. You could at least be thankful. If this weren't a training session Itachi would have just saved your life."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Look, we have to find Tanyu sensei, so-"  
  
"That won't be necessary," Itachi interrupted. "We have already found him. Sensei has been watching us fight from the shadows to your left, Eriko."   
  
There was a chuckle then, and Eriko turned to see Tanyu step out from the dense forest. She hadn't sensed him at all.  
  
"Good job, Itachi." Tanyu smiled at his star pupil. "I'm disappointed in you other two, though. At this rate you won't be ready for the chuunin exam for another year. You're just holding Itachi back, you know."  
  
"What do we care about holding the brat back." Akihiro mumbled it, knowing that it was loud enough for everyone to hear but soft enough for everyone to ignore.  
  
"And at this rate, I might rethink signing the three of you up for your first B-rank mission."  
  
Eriko's eyes lit up. "Really? You signed us up for a B mission?"  
  
"Maybe."   
  
"Wow! A B-rank mission!"  
  
"I don't know why you're excited," Akihiro said, "It'll probably be as boring as all our other missions."  
  
"Shunji Akihiro, sometimes I don't know why you're even a ninja."  
  
Sometimes, neither do I, thought Akihiro. "Why don't you bother the brat for once?"  
  
"Hmph! I bet Itachi's just as excited as I am. Aren't you, Itachi?"  
  
Itachi shrugged.  
  
"See?" Eriko gloated as if she had proven her point, and Akihiro wondered if she were some kind of idiot.  
  
"Ahem." Tanyu took out a scroll, tossing it at Eriko. "This should make you happy.  
  
Eriko eagerly unraveled the scroll and read it, turning to summarize to her teammates. "We're to go to a Shinto temple approximately three days travel from here. The location is marked on this scroll. There, one of the monks will give us important documents that we are to deliver to the lord of a nearby feudal estate. The contents of the documents are sensitive and should not be opened. No adversaries are expected. That's all it says."  
  
"That's simple enough." Akihiro inwardly grimaced. Not only was this a boring mission, it was a boring long mission.  
  
"When do we leave, Tanyu sensei?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning, six am."  
  
Akihiro groaned. That was even earlier than usual.  
  
"Well, if you don't have any more questions, that's it for today's training. I'll see you three tomorrow morning." A puff of smoke and Tanyu was gone.  
  
Akihiro frowned. These dramatic exits were all too unnecessary. He looked over at Itachi, who had already started to walk home. "I'm sure you're happy to have a mission that isn't so beneath you."  
  
Itachi shrugged. "A mission is a mission."  
  
Eriko turned, running to catch up to her youngest teammate. "Ano, Itachi, I have a favor to ask. Will you help me with my training?"  
  
Itachi stopped and seemed to ponder it over. "Okay."  
  
"Sugoi! Can we start now?"  
  
Itachi nodded. "Let's go to our normal training spot."  
  
"Hey Akihiro, do you want to join us?"  
  
"Train with the brat? No thanks."  
  
"Fine. Your loss."  
  
The three ninjas walked off, oblivious to two figures hidden nearby. After the genins were our of earshot, one of the figures turned to the other.  
  
"The lord of a feudal estate? Would that be you?"  
  
"It's a good a ruse as any. Now we'll be able to see what Uchiha Itachi is capable of."  
  
  
  



	4. strange man revealed

  
chapter four. strange man revealed. is it orochimaru?  
  
Tanyu held the documents in his hands, bowing as he passed them on to the lord of the estate. "These are the documents you requested. Please review them to make sure they are satisfactory."  
  
"No need. I'm sure they are fine. The estate extends you our deepest thanks. Quarters have been prepared for your team if you so wish to stay the night, but I trust that you will not overextend your welcome and leave by noon tomorrow."  
  
Akihiro watched as Tanyu nodded, then followed him out of the grand hall. The mission had been uneventful. They had met up with a few thieves on the way, but they were easily dispatched. The documents were received and the destination reached in less than three days time. Akihiro was just tired of the whole mission and just wanted to go to sleep. Eriko and Itachi, on the other hand, were training again. He didn't know why Eriko bothered. Couldn't she see it was pointless to train? She would never reach the level that Itachi already had.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"You're too slow. Try to predict where I'll attack, and base your movements from that."  
  
Eriko nodded, preparing for Itachi's next attack. Even though he was going easy on her, she had trouble keeping up. Still, she felt the training with Itachi had helped her, and her skills in jutsu had improved greatly in their time together.  
  
Now, a simple blink and Eriko had lost sight of Itachi, leaving her amazed that he could move so greatly. Was he waiting for her to blink in order to move away unseen? She turned around, analyzing her surroundings and seeing nothing. Suddenly a noise above her alerted her to Itachi's coming presence, and she realized she didn't have time to do anything but dodge. She quickly rolled out of the way as Itachi landed in the spot she was previously standing on.  
  
"That was a little quicker, but not by much. If I was an enemy I could have attacked you from above with a weapon as soon as you noticed me. And if I had been going just a little bit faster I could have reached you in time."  
  
Eriko nodded again. She was always careful to listen to Itachi.  
  
"If you can't move more quickly, try using your chakra to block the attack somewhat. Try to focus it around your arms to create a shield."  
  
"All right-" Eriko was about to ask to repeat the exercise again when she noticed that Itachi's eyes were red.   
  
Itachi was using his sharingan.  
  
"Eriko, listen carefully." Itachi spoke slowly and softly, barely loud enough for Eriko to hear. "You should walk towards the creek and hide there. It's ten yards to your right. I feel some one coming."  
  
"No. If there's trouble I want to fight too. I may not be as talented as you, Itachi, but I can handle myself with most other ninja."  
  
There was a laugh from behind her, and Eriko turned as she drew out her kunai, preparing for anything.  
  
"I doubt you could handle yourself against me, genin. Step aside. It's the Uchiha that I want to fight."  
  
"If you want him, you'll fight us both."  
  
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Who are you and why are you doing this?"  
  
A ninja appeared out of the forest, laughing, his body concealed by a black cloak. His red hair was cut short, close to his head on the sides and long in the front. The headband he wore bore the mark of the Hidden Mist Village. "Since you asked so politely, I'll tell you. I'm a chuunin from Hidden Mist Village, as you no doubt have figured out already. My mission is to fight with and gather information on Uchiha Itachi. It seems as if some one is very interested in you, Uchiha."  
  
"And if I refuse to fight you?"  
  
The hidden mist ninja laughed again. "It doesn't matter. I think I'll kill you either way."  
  
The ninja shot forward, his movement barely visible, but Eriko saw her opening. She poured her chakra into her kunai and threw them at the ninja as she raced toward him, instantly getting more kunai out to replace the ones she had used. He dodged the kunai, but they slowed him down enough so that she could aim correctly. Still, after she threw the next three kunai, he managed to dodge two. The third barely scraped his shoulder.  
  
"I see," he said, smiling at Eriko. "I suppose I will have to deal with you first."   
  
Eriko was upon him as soon as he said the words and started attacking with all the speed and strength her taijutsu could muster. Still, the chuunin dodged her attacks without seeming to move at all, and even smiled at her before raising his arms. She suddenly found herself thrown up and back into the air, and used her chakra to aim herself safely onto a tree branch.  
  
"What's wrong?" she bluffed. "Are you afraid of close combat?"  
  
Itachi watched as Eriko fought the chuunin, analyzing the mist ninja's abilities, ready to step in if Eriko found herself in real trouble. He watched as the chuunin leapt into the trees and began to spar with Eriko. After a few moments Itachi realized that the chunin was clearly more talented than Eriko. In fact, he could have ended the fight easily several times already. Itachi leapt towards the two ninja, landing on a nearby branch.  
  
The chuunin grinned when he saw Itachi so close by. "So you've decided to fight. In that case, I'm done playing."  
  
Eriko was completely unprepared for the chuunin's next move. Before she could even register the action, the chuunin had hit her in her stomach with a blast of chakra that sent her spiraling backwards. She had no time to prepare to land, and she was falling straight for the ground... the fall might break her neck and even kill her. At best, she would have a few broken bones. Eriko barely registered Itachi coming at her and hitting her chest with his arm. The move hurt, pushing all the air out of her lungs, but it changed her path so that she collided in a tree and landed in its branches. Her limbs were exhausted, and all she could do was watch now.  
  
"Who hired you?" Itachi sped at the chuunin, and Eriko could see that he was holding back, being cautious.  
  
"Is that all you have?" The ninja smirked. "You're slow for a prodigy."  
  
The ninja made his move, rushing at Itachi, aiming his attack. He was sure he would hit when Itachi dodged at the last moment, appearing above him and attacking him from the top. The chuunin found himself plummeting to the ground, but quickly prepared himself to land properly.   
  
"That was alright for a genin. But you're not the only one with a bloodline."  
  
Itachi watched from the shadows as the chuunin performed several hand seals... it was a jutsu he hadn't seen before. It was... some kind of transformation? The chuunin's appearance was changing, his hair growing longer, his teeth sharpening into fangs. His chakra had also changed colors.  
  
"You should feel flattered that you were able to see mine."  
  
Itachi's eyes widened as the chuunin propelled toward him... the older ninja had managed to target him, even though he was so well hidden. He'd have to deal with the man now, and soon. He used some of his chakra to propel himself backwards, and gathered some more as he performed his own hand seals. When he finished four streams of fire shot out of his hands, and he guided them towards the chuunin. They wrapped themselves around the other ninja, setting his skin on fire wherever they touched.  
  
"These flames!" The chuunsin was suddenly and effectively bound by the fire. It felt as though the flames were eating through him.  
  
"These flames are special. They will not stop burning until their target is reduced to ashes. Your mission is over, chuunin. You have failed."  
  
Itachi watched as the ninja was eaten alive in the fire. Eriko was awestruck in the branches, wondering when Itachi had mastered that move. She had never seen a fire jutsu like that. And the way he had read his opponent... he must have mastered the sharingan as well. The chuunin's movements were far too fast for her, and she estimated most ninjas, could see. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard clapping from below, and saw a figure approaching Itachi.  
  
"That jutsu was most impressive. You were right to kill him before he reached you. Otherwise, he may have ripped you apart."  
  
Itachi turned to the other man, recognizing his face. "You are the lord of this estate."  
  
"Not exactly." The lord's diplomatic face and regal bearing shifted, and Itachi found himself staring at a pale man with long, black hair. "I'm afraid he is currently indisposed."  
  
"You sent the chuunin after me."  
  
"No." The strange man smiled. "I am only here to watch. My organization might have an interest in you, Uchiha Itachi."  
  
"I am a ninja of Leaf Village. I have no interest in your organization." Itachi tried to step forward, tried to attack the man, but found that he couldn't move. He was somehow bound in his position.  
  
The man started to walk away. "Really? It seems to me as though you have no interest in Leaf Village either. You are an automaton, Itachi. You fight because it is what you were taught to do."  
  
Itachi made no move to fight, no attempt to answer.  
  
"Is it not true? If it's not, then what do you fight for? As I said, my organization has an interest in you. But first, we'll see how you mature."  
  
It was a moment after the strange man disappeared before Itachi could move again. He went to collect Eriko, picking up the bigger girl and closing his sharingan. "Eriko. Don't tell any one about what happened today."  
  
Eriko nodded. It was the first order Itachi had ever given her.  
  
  
  
  



	5. interlude

  
chapter five. interlude. itachi begins to doubt.  
  
What did he fight for?   
  
Did he fight for anything?   
  
He was a shinobi.  
  
He fought for the mission.  
  
He was only a tool to carry out the mission.  
  
He had eagerly joined the academy. He had eagerly studied his lessons. Every saying that his teachers had spouted, he had taken to heart, because he was to become a great ninja. The pride of his clan.  
  
He wasn't an automaton.  
  
Is that... what he fought for? Did he fight just to become a great ninja?  
  
He fought to become great... he fought for his clan... he fought for Kohona...  
  
He wasn't just a robot.  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. the youngest anbu

  
chapter six. the youngest anbu shines.  
  
"Itachi, are you teaching your brother kunai jutsu today?"  
  
"You are capable of teaching him. I have to leave for a mission."  
  
Itachi's father nodded. "I see. I suppose you're very busy, now that you're an Anbu."  
  
The thirteen-year-old Itachi didn't bother to nod or reply as he went to gather his weapons. Today he would have to set out on a new mission with his squad. A small town on the coast of fire country was having some civil disputes, and Leaf Village was hired to assassinate the leader of a union that was threatening the local government. "Tell Sasuke that I'm sorry."  
  
The elder Uchiha watched as Itachi made his way out of the house. There went the pride of the Uchiha clan. And yet, Itachi hadn't turned out as his father had thought he would. There was something about Itachi that unnerved him, just a little.  
  
Itachi walked towards the center of the village, stopping when he noticed Eriko waving and running up to him.  
  
Eriko panted as she caught up to her former teammate. "Guess what, Itachi? Akihiro and I made it to chuunin level. Three years after you did it, but we made it nonetheless. You better watch out, I'll catch up to you soon and become a jounin. Maybe I'll even be on your Anbu squad one day."  
  
No one else would have noticed, but Eriko could tell that Itachi was smiling, if only very slightly. "Congratulations, Eriko. I'm glad all our training sessions finally paid off."  
  
Eriko grinned. "So I hear you're on another mission. That has to be fun."  
  
Itachi shrugged. "A mission is a mission."  
  
"I see you haven't changed at all." Eriko laughed a little before she started feeling awkward. "Well, you better go, or else you'll be late."  
  
Itachi nodded. "Bye, Eriko."  
  
Eriko watched as Itachi started walking away. Nothing had really changed at all. As always, Itachi was innumerable steps ahead of her. "Be safe, Itachi. Not that you would ever let yourself be hurt."  
  
But Itachi didn't hear her. When he realized no one was around he reached into his bag, taking out his Anbu mask. It was a silver plate made to resemble the face of a wolf. He slipped it onto his face and pulled on his cloak just as he reached the squad.  
  
"Itachi. You're late."  
  
Itachi nodded but made no excuse to his squad leader, who also held the distinction of being captain of the Anbu.  
  
"Just make sure it doesn't happen again."  
  
The four man team then turned and set out. They all had received the coordinates of their destination before hand, and quickly got into their standard formation as they began the two day journey.   
  
They arrived without incident, and quickly met with the government head to discern the target. A photo was passed around to each squad member and memorized. Each of them could now spot the man in a crowd of hundreds.  
  
"I was told by your village that he'd be dead within a week."  
  
The squad leader nodded. "It won't be a problem for us."  
  
The last words they received from the town leader was a warning. "We have heard that the union has hired ninjas from the Hidden Sand village for protection, so this mission may not be as easy as you expect."  
  
"Well," replied Itachi's captain, "that makes things interesting. Don't worry about us, though. We'll get the job done."  
  
The captain gave a signal and the other Anbu simultaneously rose to follow him out of the room.  
  
"The mission will be carried out tomorrow," the captain said, his voice too low for anyone but the other Anbu to hear, if any one had been around. "Prepare to infiltrate the union headquarters for the assassination. Details will be worked out tomorrow, at a secure location, outside the city at six am."  
  
The next day, Itachi found himself crawling through an air duct at seven am in the morning. The captain had shared the intelligence with them, and had assigned roles for each Anbu member. Their target would most likely be asleep at this time. Itachi would crawl through the air ducts to the target's bedroom and use long range weapons to kill the man. Two other team members were stationed outside each of two entrances, in case the target tried to leave the compound at that time. The captain, with the aid of an informant that the government had stationed within the union, was in the hallway in front of the target's bedroom, posing as a security guard. If anything went wrong he would blow his cover and help whoever needed it.  
  
Itachi reached the bedroom. He could even see the target in his bed from the air duct. Itachi drew out several long, sharp needles from his weapons pouch. He could kill the target easily by aiming at vital organs, and aimed from behind the vent slits. In a second he had aimed and thrown, but something wasn't right. Every needle had hit the body where he had aimed, yet the body hadn't responded at all. Itachi had just enough time to decide that the body in the bed was only a clone before the vent he was peering through exploded and he had no choice but to leap into the room. Suddenly his view was consumed by a huge, mocking grin.  
  
"Did you think it would be that easy?"  
  
Itachi rolled away as the enemy threw several kunai at him. Sand ninja. He grabbed for more needles. Taking am and throwing. The sand ninja easily dodged, and came at Itachi with a high punch. The two exchanged several punches and kicks, each one measuring the other. The sand ninja was fast, fast enough so that Itachi hadn't had time to do and genjutsu before, but Itachi could be faster. He activated his sharingan.  
  
The sand ninja's eyes widened slightly. He could see the two red eyes from behind the slits of the Anbu's mask. "So you're a Uchiha. Then you'll no doubt be fun to kill."  
  
"If this is the level of your jutsu, you won't defeat me so easily."  
  
"This level of jutsu," the sand ninja laughed, "was more than enough to kill your captain. So it should easily defeat you."  
  
Itachi flew back as he dodged a blow. This man killed his captain?  
  
"But just so you'll be entertained, I'll show you another trick I have." The man knocked Itachi back so that he would have time to perform a quick series of hand seals. A screen of chakra formed in front of the man, taking on a material shape... the shape of a lion. The lion roared and leapt at Itachi, forcing the Anbu to block with his arms. He then pushed himself backwards, taking a second to inspect his arms as he dodged the chakra lion. They were covered in burns.  
  
It was impressive, that the chakra was focused enough to burn upon touch. "But you forget that I'm a Uchiha. All jutsu are useless in the face of my sharingan."  
  
The sand ninja planned to attack when he saw Itachi start performing hand seals, but the movements made him stop... the Anbu was performing his chakra materializing jutsu.  
  
A massive black tiger reared up from Itachi's hands, spiraling towards the lion. The lion never stood a chance, disappearing with an awful screech. The sand ninja leapt out of the way, but it was too late, the tiger had changed form and was wrapped around his body. The chakra burned enough to hurt, but not to kill... of course, the Anbu would keep him alive to gather intelligence.  
  
Itachi stepped out of the room when he saw the sand ninja was secure, pausing briefly to notice that the ninja wasn't bluffing. The captain was dead, his throat sliced open with a kunai. Itachi stepped back into the room, sending a flare of chakra out of a window, the signal to the other two Anbu that something was wrong. They were all gathered in seconds.  
  
"I'll go get sempai." One of the Anbu started walking towards the door when Itachi stopped him.  
  
"There's no need."  
  
The Anbu started, but nodded his head.  
  
"We have to find out where our target is and take care of him as soon as possible. One of you take the captain's body back to Konoha. Only two people are needed to finish this mission."  
  
"I'll go." An Anbu left the room, and Itachi stepped up to the captive sand ninja.  
  
"Where is the union president?"  
  
"Why should I tell you? You're Uchiha Itachi, aren't you? Kohona's little robot. The ninja who fights because he was taught to do so. You're a mockery to shinobi."  
  
"Don't listen to him," the other Anbu interrupted. "You fight for the good of Kohona, you know that."  
  
Itachi spoke calmly, ignoring the argument. "We will find the president eventually, with or without your help. If you tell us, we'll have no reason to kill you."  
  
The sand ninja debated whether he should tell... he had no loyalties to the union. He was only hired to do a job. Finally, he nodded. "He's hidden in the tunnels beneath this building."  
  
The ninja felt the chakra around him being released, and fell to the floor. When he looked up the Anbu were gone.  
  
Itachi and the other Anbu found the tunnels within a minimal timeframe, and located the target within moments of that. He and his bodyguards were easily dispatched.  
  
The Anbu were quiet on their way back. Itachi was never talkative to begin with, and the other Anbu was preoccupied with the casualty they had suffered. It never should have happened, not on a low rank assassination like this. When the two got back to Konoha, they were assembled in front of the Homura, one of the Hokage's high council.  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss on this mission," Homura started. "As you probably know, the service will be tomorrow. In the meantime, it is my duty to appoint a new captain of the Anbu, and I believe that you, Itachi, would be the fitting choice. I hope you will accept my congratulations as well as my condolences on this day."  
  
Itachi nodded as Homura made his succinct speech and left. His teammate looked over at him, amazed... a thirteen-year-old boy, appointed as captain? He must be the youngest in Kohona history.   
  
Uchiha Itachi... already, at thirteen, was one of Kohona's greatest ninjas.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. the mission

  
chapter seven. the mission that changes everything.  
  
Itachi stopped for a second, trying to see through the pounding rain that was obscuring his vision. He looked around, came to a decision, and pointed towards the direction his squad would go in.  
  
This mission was an important one. They had even been permitted the use of horses, though right now they were useless in the thick mud that caked the ground. The Anbu found themselves walking, with the additional burden of having to lead the beasts.  
  
Grass country was now under the control of a highly irrational and aggressive leader. Lately he had been acting out towards the five Great Shinobi Countries, believing that they held an unfair dominion over countries without shinobi forces. He was particularly aggressive towards Fire, the country he believed to be most powerful. His hatred of the shinobi countries, however, didn't stop him from meeting with the kazekage of Wind Country. The treaty between Wind and Fire was already tenuous, and Fire Country did not want Wind to make an ally out of Fire's enemy. The decision was swift; the leader of Grass had to be assassinated. Of course, the mission was highly sensitive, and it was important that Fire Country was in no way implicated with the man's death for obvious political reasons. All witnesses had to be eliminated.  
  
As it turned out, the leader's eccentricity gave them the perfect opportunity to carry out the mission. Right now he was vacationing in a secluded part of the mountains. On his vacations, he insisted on being alone, so he was there with only one bodyguard. An easy enough obstacle for four Anbu led by Uchiha Itachi himself.  
  
Itachi made a signal. They were one day's time from the vacation resort, but night was about to fall. They would make camp here and set out again in the morning.  
  
The men set up a tent as the rain continued to pour down of them. Itachi, on the other hand, walked into the nearby forest to see if he could find any wood that had managed to stay dry in the storm. He ran through the forest, his sharp eyesight checking to see if there were and niches or enclaves where dry wood to be found. After a moment though, he stopped, and looked around.  
  
The forest seemed normal, with its usual cacophony of sharp animal noises. But he could sense it. That chakra... he hadn't felt it since he was eight.  
  
Itachi moved forward into the forest, stopping when he finally saw the familiar figure.  
  
"Orochimaru." Itachi stated. "That's your name. Akatsuki is the name of your organization."  
  
"I'm impressed that you managed to learn so much about me since our last meeting." The pale man came out of the shadows, leaping to land in front of the young Anbu. "And becoming Anbu captain at such a young age. That is also very impressive."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I think you've figured it out already, Itachi-kun. The Akatsuki would like for you to join them."  
  
"And why would I want to fight among that group of criminals?"  
  
Orochimaru smiled. "The Akatsuki are among the most powerful ninjas in the world, criminals or not. You would be fighting among the greatest."  
  
"That doesn't interest me. I fight for Kohona."  
  
A laugh echoed through the forest. "Are you saying that because it's what you were taught or because you really believe it?"  
  
Itachi clenched his fists, angered.  
  
"Kohona doesn't care about you, Itachi-kun. You are just a tool to them. So why do you fight for them? You will see... it is your destiny to become great. The Akatsuki can give you that greatness. We can give you that power."  
  
"Urusei!" Itachi closed his eyes, his mind closing off Orochimaru's words. When he opened them again his sharingan was active. "Don't trifle with me, Orochimaru."  
  
Before he could prepare, Orochimaru was caught in the glare of the sharingan... he couldn't close his eyes.  
  
"For the next twenty-four hours," Itachi started, sharingan completely focused on Orochimaru, "you will be beaten with whips of glass and stone."  
  
Orochimaru screamed as suddenly he felt glass cutting into his skin and harsh strips of leather biting into his flesh. He could feel his body being ripped apart, no able to do anything about it... and the onslaught continued... hour after hour.... never ending. His body grew weaker as he felt flesh and blood drip out of him... and after a day passed, his eyes opened to look up at Itachi. He had collapsed, on his knees on the ground, incapable of moving, and he realized that even though he had suffered for a full day, only a moment had passed.  
  
"That was the Tsukiyomi," Itachi whispered. "A true power of the sharingan."  
  
For the first time, Orochimaru felt something skin to fear towards this thirteen-year-old boy. Blood dribbled from his mouth, from his skin. That attack... it was unreal. Gathering his last remaining chakra, he fled.  
  
As soon as Orochimaru left, Itachi himself collapsed onto the ground. The Tsukiyomi... it drained him as well, consuming vast amounts of chakra. If he overused it, it could very well kill him.  
  
Two Anbu officers came running towards Itachi, surprised to find their captain in such a weakened state on the ground.  
  
"Sempai, are you all right? We heard screaming."  
  
"Hai. There's nothing to worry about."   
  
The captain of the anbu stood up and moved past his men, returning to the camp site. "Let's get some rest."  
  
The next day the storm had cleared, and the Anbu troupe left the forest and made there way through the plains towards Grass country. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and the day after that they were poised to attack the Grass country leader's mountain resort. Itachi rode in, followed by two of his men, and they quickly struck down the leader and his bodyguard with large kunai-style weapons.  
  
"That was too easy," said one of Itachi's men. He kicked the dead president in the stomach. "Trash."  
  
"Hey, look over there."  
  
Itachi turned to where his man was pointing... there, among the grass and wildflowers, a mother was having a picnic with her son. They were frozen in fear at the sight of the shinobi. "I thought this area was isolated."  
  
"Sometimes these things can't be avoided. You better go take care of them, Itachi. You are the captain after all."  
  
Itachi started. "You want me to kill them."  
  
"Of course. It's part of the mission. Leave no witnesses. You, out of any one, can understand the importance of the mission. We will take care of these bodies while you attend to the civilians."  
  
Itachi clenched his teeth, drawing out his kunai as he sped towards the woman and the little boy. They were civilians.... innocents... in all his missions, he had never had to kill an innocent. All the people he had killed were at least aware that they courted death in their professions... politicians, ninjas, criminals. Never a mother. Never a child. Yet it was Kohona's will. It was the mission.  
  
Itachi's body acted of on automatic, going through movements he had gone through countless times before, striking down the woman. Blood splattered every where on him as she screamed in pain, even though he had tried to make the death as painless as possible. The little boy could only watch in horror as his mother was slaughtered, tears streaking down his cheeks.  
  
I'm sorry. Itachi turned to the boy, who cowered away from him. Soon the boy, too, was dead.  
  
Itachi stood over the two freshly killed bodies. Blood dripped from his kunai, from his hands. He stood there for countless minutes before another Anbu came to jolt him from his shock.  
  
"Itachi. Why haven't you disposed of the bodies?"  
  
Itachi shook his head. "They didn't deserve to die."  
  
But the mission... the mission had said to kill them.  
  
"Was this... was this really for the good of Kohona?"  
  
The older Anbu shrugged, picking up the bloody stump that used to be a living boy. "I don't know about the good of Kohona. If you ask me, there's no such thing as good or bad. There's only power."  
  
Itachi watched as the other man walked away, thinking over his offhand comment. There was only power. He left the bloody woman on the grass, knowing the other Anbu would take care of it, and walked into the late leader's vacation home.   
  
He wanted to wash all this blood off.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. conclusion

  
chapter eight. snap and massacre.  
  
During the trip back to Kohona, Itachi had a lot of time to think. His squad members left him alone, as always, not willing to bother their quiet captain. Everything he had been taught, everything Orochimaru said, it all burned like flames in his mind. The fire of thought consumed him during the trip back, and it consumed it as he went through his everyday routine at home.  
  
He knew it was his destiny to become great. It was what he had been told by every one in his village. The other Uchiha clan members prized him for his abilities. His father had told him, before he had enrolled at the academy, that he was to be the most talented of all Uchihas.  
  
Then, during the academy, he had been taught about what it meant to be a shinobi. He had been taught about the mission.  
  
And now, for the first time, he questioned it.  
  
"Even for a Uchiha, you are exceptionally gifted."  
  
"Try your best to become a great ninja."  
  
"The Akatsuki can give you greatness. The Akatsuki can give you power."  
  
"What do you fight for?"  
  
"You fight for the good of Kohona."  
  
"There is no good or bad. There is only power."  
  
Itachi shook his head. And why did he fight for Kohona? If it was his duty to become a great ninja... his destiny... then why did he have to bother with Kohona's missions?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted as his younger brother ran into the room, obviously annoyed at something. "Brother. Today you were supposed to teach me Shuriken Jutsu."  
  
Itachi sat there, remembering. He had promised Sasuke, but then his tasks and his thoughts had kept him too occupied to play around with the younger boy. "I was busy. Besides, father is a good teacher."  
  
Sasuke's expression turned very serious. "But your way of throwing them is the best. I'm only a kid, but even I know that. You always act as if I was a burden to you."  
  
Itachi motioned with his hand. He had more important things to do then deal with Sasuke. "Shoo. Shoo."  
  
When the younger boy didn't move, he pressed his fingers together and pushed them against Sasuke's forehead. "Forgive me, Sasuke, just this once. I don't have time to take care of you today."  
  
"All the time," Sasuke complained, rubbing his forehead. "Always saying 'Forgive me, Sasuke', then poking me in the head. Then saying 'Today'. I never see it."  
  
But Itachi was already leaving the smaller boy behind.  
  
Itachi spent the next hour with the Hokage's council, receiving his next mission. When he returned home his mother and father were preparing dinner, Sasuke off somewhere unknown. Itachi clenched the mission scroll in his fist... another mission... for the good of Kohona...  
  
"Father."  
  
The elder Uchiha looked up at his son. He was surprised that Itachi was speaking with him, but he didn't show it. He didn't understand the boy any more. Ever since he had enrolled at the academy, he had turned into a different person. Uchiha was content with Itachi just keeping to himself and not bothering the family.  
  
"Once, you told me I was to become a great ninja. You told me that I was a genius even among the genius clan of Uchiha."  
  
Uchiha waited a moment before he nodded. "Yes. And you have become a very talented ninja."  
  
"Then fight with me, so that I can measure my talent against yours."  
  
"What are doing, Itachi?" Itachi's mother interrupted, unnerved by what was going on. "What is this all about?"  
  
"It's all right, if Itachi wants to spar, I'll spar with him."  
  
"No. This isn't just about sparring." Itachi's eyes narrowed as he produced flames with his chakra, showing his parents that he was serious. "I was taught in my classes that I was a tool for the mission. I was taught that I was fighting for Kohona. But through my missions, I learned. I learned that there is no such thing as the good of Kohona. Kohona doesn't care about what is good. All Kohona really wants is power. And I thought... why fight to gain power for Kohona... when I can fight to gain power for myself."  
  
Itachi smiled. "You yourself, father, told me to become a powerful ninja. It seems as though that is my destiny. I must become even more powerful than I am now. But first, I must test my strength against the most powerful clan in Leaf village... I will test my strength against the Uchihas."  
  
Uchiha jumped up and pushed his wife out of the way just as Itachi threw a ball of fire at her... the blast shattered the wall behind them, sending plaster and wood crumbling down to the floor. So Itachi meant to kill.  
  
"Itachi, stop it!" Itachi's mother had no idea why her son was doing it, but even as she tried to persuade him she activated her sharingan. She would protect her family, her clan, she would protect Sasuke... even if it was against her own son.  
  
Itachi's smile spread even wider as he saw his mother and father were finally serious. Still, he was happy to see, that his parents were no match for his abilities. After only a few minutes, his father and mother lay dying on the kitchen floor.  
  
"Please... Itachi..." his mother gasped, "...leave every one else alone. Be satisfied with fighting us."  
  
Itachi laughed. "It's too late. Every other clan member is dead. I was saving you for last."  
  
No. Itachi's mother started coughing, her blood splattering on her husband's cold body. Then she heard a voice from outside the house... Sasuke's voice... Sasuke was still alive.  
  
"Sasuke!" she cried, trying to gain strength to give the message. "Don't come in!"  
  
On the other side of the house, Sasuke trembled at his mother's scared voice. On his way home, the streets had been littered with bodies... the bodies of his cousins, uncles, aunts. What was going on? "Mother! Father!"  
  
Sasuke tore the door open, running into the room only to see his parents incapacitated on the floor. Itachi was standing over them. "Brother! Why? ... Who could have done this?!"  
  
Sasuke started as the door closed behind him. Itachi didn't move, but narrowed his eyes at his brother.  
  
"Hmm. That was foolish of you, little brother." He turned his sharingan on Sasuke, showing Sasuke exactly how he had killed every Uchiha clan member.  
  
"No.." The images hit Sasuke hard, and he collapsed from the shock. "Mother... Father... why... why did you, brother?"  
  
Itachi scoffed. "They were just a measuring stick to test my greatness."  
  
"A measuring stick? You killed every one for that?"  
  
"It was very important for me to do so." I am the most powerful of the Uchiha clan. It is my destiny, to grow even more powerful than that.  
  
"Bullshit!" Sasuke pushed himself off the ground, charging at his older brother even as tears streamed down his cheeks. His attack was cut short however, with a swift punch to his stomach. Itachi threw him off his arm, and he landed on the other side of the room.  
  
Sasuke coughed and gasped, his stomach aching and the air knocked out of his lungs. His father's empty eyes stared up at him from the floor. No, it wasn't his father any more. It was a corpse. He was so scared.  
  
"Please..." Sasuke couldn't stop crying, and ran away even as he trembled. "Please don't kill me!"  
  
"Foolish little brother. You're not even worth killing." Itachi stared down at his brother, and something clicked inside of him. Sasuke... he was an innocent... just like that little boy he had killed... Itachi shook his head, clearing away those thoughts as he turned to go. He left one final message with his younger brother. "If you want to kill me, live miserably. Hate me. Survive through the ugliness. Learn to survive."  
  
Itachi left the house then, walking slowly towards the front of the Uchiha estate. No one would stop him. There was no one left that could have. When he got to the front, he saw Orochimaru standing, warily, to the side.  
  
"You will lead me to the Akatsuki."  
  
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes. It is my job to do so."  
  
Itachi smiled to himself. He had finally found something he truly believed in.  
  
He had finally found something to fight for.  
  
  
~owari~  



End file.
